From my post above -
http://www.visitstresa.com/Lake_Maggiore_Express.htm

How to do the trip to Stresa/Locarno in either direction. It was 34 euros RT/pp. It was a really nice day, but don't eat in the area where you alight from the train or boat. We walked a good distance along the shore [a lovely path] and found some nice, much more local cafes to eat.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/switzerl...rdini-pubblici

Also, there was a HUGE market near the boat dock. Avoid it like the plague, it was crowded and really undid the peace we had found on our walk.

There is no estimated date that service will return to the cable car. There are no funds to repair it. It looks like it needs repairs -- badly.

We stayed in Locarno and took a Swiss bus into the mountains and the Val Verzasca. No need for hiking. Swiss buses are a great resource, very comfortable and delving deep into the mountains; some people spend their whole vacations taking various Swiss bus routes.

We also took the trip from the middle of Locarno up by funicular, then gondola, then chair lift to a ski resort, Cimetta, high above the town: http://europeforvisitors.com/switzau...-cable-car.htm. You get magnificent views of the lakes and the Alps the higher you go. No hiking to speak of on this combo trip.

At least when we were there, there were boats from Locarno to the Borromean Islands. A longish trip; I'd prefer Stresa for that.

Stresa is smaller, which is desirable to me, but might require a car.

Stresa should not require a car IME - boats are the way to go around the lake and the chair-lift thing takes you to the top of a mountain.

I am really not interested in Locarno, but rather the Valle Maggia and Valle Verzasca.

Making a day trip to Locarno won't quite solve my problem.

Still working on it.